Category Archives: Newest Blogs (最新ブログ)

By Billy Hammond (Copyright AELS) July 11, 2021 Saliva Saliva is an important part of the digestive system. Without it, you’d have trouble swallowing large bits of food. Saliva is produced in the parotid, submandibular and sublingual glands. A human normally secretes about 1,000 ml/day within a range of 850-1500 ml. It’s pH ranges between 6.0 – 7.0. It’s pretty unique in that its secretion can be stimulated by both the sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous systems, although the parasympathetic activity plays the major role. Saliva production is increased by food in the mouth, smells, conditioned reflexes and nausea. Sleep, dehydration, fear and anticholinergic drugs decrease its production. It has three major functions: (1) the initial digestion of starch by α-amylase (ptyalin) and the digestion of triglycerides by lingual lipase; (2) the lubrication by mucus; and (3) protection of the mouth […]

By Billy Hammond (Copyright AELS) July 3, 2021 Urea Cycle I sometimes use urea as a nitrogen fertilizer for my plants. Every time I sprinkle it around my plants, being careful not to have it come into contact with them because of its caustic direct effect, I think back to the Urea Cycle I learned about decades ago in my college chemistry class. The amino acids traveling around in the blood eventually make their way to the liver. Their nitrogen gets converted to urea there while the carbon atoms are oxidized to CO2 and H2O by various tissues. In the Urea Cycle, NH4+, bicarbonate and ATP react together to form carbamoyl phosphate. This reacts with ornithine to form citrulline. Aspartate reacts with citrulline to form arginosuccinate, which releases fumarate thereby forming arginine. Arginase cleaves the arginine to release urea and […]

By Billy Hammond (Copyright AELS) May 2, 2021 Hitting The Funny Bone Most of us have hit our elbow on an object at one time or another and experienced that intense tingling sensation all the way down to the little finger. In English, we call that “hitting the funny bone.” An anatomically more correct description would be “hitting the ulnar nerve.” The ulnar nerve passes behind the medial epicondyle of the humerus at the elbow. At that point, it’s quite close to the surface in its position in the cubital tunnel and quite exposed especially to contact from behind when extended and medially when flexed. 『ファニー・ボーンを打った』 皆は肘を何かに打つかって小指まで変なビリビリした感覚を経験したことがあると思う。 英語ではそれは『hitting the funny bone（ファニー・ボーンを打つ）』と表現する。より正しい解剖的な表現では『尺骨神経に当たった』。尺骨神経は肘の中に上腕骨の側上顆の後ろに通っている。そこの肘部管の位置は表面に近いなので当たりやすい。腕を伸ばした状態なら後ろから当たりやすいし、曲げている時には内側からぶつけやすい。 英語では『変な感覚』は『funny sensation』と言うのでそこからその名前が来ただろ。会話では時々その表現は『ジョークを受けた』との意味でも使う。 ********* English novels by Billy Hammond published by AELS (AELS出版英語書籍リスト）   I. Majoh Gakuin and Hikari Juku – Japanese Witch Schools Trilogy 1. Majoh Gakuin & Hikari Juku – Japanese […]

By Billy Hammond (Copyright AELS) April 30, 2021 Gardenia Dreams Some witches use plant extracts to stimulate and enhance dreaming. The gardenia flower has the power to induce prophetic dreams, beckon benevolent spirits, and enhance psychic ability.* Here are the directions for making gardenia oil to add to a bath: 1. Place the gardenia petals in coconut oil. Use a ratio of 1 cup:1 ounce. At very low heat, heat in a pot with water surrounding the container for 30 minutes. Too hot and you’ll spoil the mixture. 2. Strain the oil to remove the petals. Store in an airtight container. 3. Reserve the oil. Store in an airtight container. Add about 1 tablespoon to your bath. If you don’t intend to use the oil right away, add ¼ teaspoon of tincture of benzoin as a preservative. *Illes, Judika. The […]

April 24, 2021 By Billy Hammond (Copyright AELS) Teaching Principles The anatomy course I’m taking now is based on four teaching principles, which can be applied to most subjects. I’ve instinctively used them in teaching for years, but have never summarized them as clearly as the professor teaching the course did. 1. Even very complicated subjects can be distilled down to basic principles. 2. Curiosity drives learning. 3. Affirmation sustains learning. Confirming what you learned right as well as what you did wrong is important. 4. Assessment can help refine learning. Checking what you learned makes sure that you’ve learned enough to proceed. *From the AnatomyX lecture by Professor Trudy Van Houton, Director of the Clinical Applications of Anatomy |Course, Harvard Medical School 教育原理 受けている筋骨格解剖解剖学コースは4つの教育言論に基づいて作られている。その原則は殆どの教育科目にも適用できる。私も長年に渡り本能的に使ってきたが、教授のようにリストアップしたことはなかった。 1. 難しい科目でもより簡単な原理に分離できる。 2. 好奇心は学習を駆動する. 3. 確認は学習を維持する。 正しく学んだことを知ることも大切が、間違って覚えたのも知ることも大切。 4. 評価は学習を磨く。 進む前に今まで学んだことの再確認が必要。 上記の4点はTrudy Van Houten教授のAnatomyX講義からの引用。彼女はハーバード大学医学部の解剖学臨床応用のディレクタである。 ********** English […]

By Billy Hammond (Copyright AELS) March 9, 2021 Japan probably has the world’s shortest time span for fads. Japanese people seem to be extremely eager to jump on the bandwagon whenever something new comes out, but their interest is usually extremely short-lived. Whether it be catchy words or phrases, foods or material objects, what’s in vogue this season is often gone by the next. Perhaps this has been the Japanese way all along, as evidenced by the beginning of its old syllabary, iroha (iro wa nioedo, chirinuru wo: [flower] colors are fragrant, but eventually will fall off and scatter). エバネセント（一過性）日本の流行 日本の流行はおそらく世界一短い。日本人はすぐに新しい流行に乗りたいが、興味があっという間に消える。 流行言葉・食べ物・持ち物であっても今の季節に人気のあるものは季節の終わりには人気が消えている場合が多い。 昔からこのようだったかも知らない。『イロハ』の始まりは『色は匂えど、散りぬるを…』 ************ English novels by Billy Hammond published by AELS (AELS出版英語書籍リスト）   I. Majoh Gakuin and Hikari Juku – Japanese Witch Schools Trilogy 1. Majoh Gakuin & Hikari Juku – Japanese Witch Schools 2. Lost Witch (The second book) 3. Fate & Magic (The […]

By Billy Hammond (Copyright AELS) March 7, 2021 Paul McCartney of the famed Beatles related how he had a dream in the 1960s. It seems that his departed mother came to him in his dream and said, “It’s going to be OK, just let it be.” Apparently, the phrase “let it be” sounded good to him and he turned it into a song.* Reference: Kellehear, Allan. Visitors at the End of Life (p. 119). Columbia University Press. Kindle Edition. 『Let it be』霊の曲 有名な元ビートルズのメンバー ポール・マッカートニー は1960年代に夢をみた。その夢の中に亡くなったお母さんが現れ、「すべては大丈夫だよ。そのままにして（Let it be)」。 どうやら彼がその言葉に気に入って、曲にした。 参考：Kellehear, Allan. Visitors at the End of Life (p. 119). Columbia University Press. Kindle Edition. ********** English novels by Billy Hammond published by AELS (AELS出版英語書籍リスト）   I. Majoh Gakuin and Hikari Juku – Japanese Witch Schools Trilogy 1. Majoh Gakuin & Hikari Juku – Japanese Witch Schools 2. Lost Witch (The second book) 3. Fate & Magic (The […]

By Billy Hammond (Copyright AELS) March 6, 2021     Laulau My sister and her friends made “laulau” for a charity fundraiser last month. Laulau is a Hawaiian food made with butterfish, pork and beef wrapped in taro leaf covered with ti leaves. It’s steamed, tastes a little salty and goes well with rice. It’s a popular food for fundraisers (I helped made it often when I was a Boy Scout and also for my judo and karate clubs). It’s a food that you should really try if you want to sample Hawaiian cuisine. Don’t eat too many, though (it will give you the runs!) *Photos taken by my sister ラウラウ 先月妹と彼女の友人達は慈善団体の募金イベントのために『ラウラウ』を作った。ラウラウとはハワイの現地料理で、マナガツオ、豚肉、牛肉、ハワイアン塩をタロ芋葉で包んで、センネンボクの葉でまとめてかぶせた料理。蒸して作ったラウラウは塩分が高いため、ハワイの高温環境で長持ちする。味は塩が効いていてご飯にとても合う。 ハワイでは資金集めによく使われる料理で、私はボーイスカウトや空手と柔道クラブのイベントによく手伝って作った料理だ。 本物のハワイの現地料理を味わたいなら、ラウラウを一度食べる必要がある（但し、数多くを食べない方がいい（見事に下痢するよ！） ************** English novels by Billy Hammond published by AELS (AELS出版英語書籍リスト）   I. Majoh Gakuin and Hikari Juku – Japanese Witch Schools Trilogy 1. Majoh Gakuin & Hikari Juku – […]

By Billy Hammond (Copyright AELS) February 26, 2021 The epinephrine used in the Epi Pen used to treat the anaphylactic shock that is currently being talked about in the news a lot is quite an interesting drug. It is one of the catecholamines (catechol = ring structure with two hydroxyl groups) and can be both a hormone and neurotransmitter. It works as an α-agonist at high doses and as a β-agonist at low doses. Thus, at high doses it causes vasoconstriction, which increases the blood pressure (both systolic and diastolic). Likewise when acting as a β1 agonist, it increases the heart rate and its contractility. When it works as a β2 agonist, it relaxes vascular tissue and respiratory smooth muscle to result in brochodilation and a slight decrease in diastolic pressure. Because of its characteristics, it’s used to treat cardiac […]

By Billy Hammond February 22, 2021 In the famous case of James Leininger, the young boy who remembered being a US pilot shot down in WWII, there is another aspect to his story with interesting implications. It seems that he remembered being able to choose his birth parents while he was in “heaven” He apparently chose his parents while they were in Hawaii before he was born*. He offered specific information about the couple’s stay there. This advances an interesting idea: that the deceased get to choose their parents. Dr. Tucker mentions other instances in his well-researched book, “Return to Life”, but this example is the most intriguing , because the geographical distances involved in this case are so wide. 生まれる前の親選び 第二次世界大戦にパイロットであったジェイムズ ・レイニンガー の有名な輪廻例の話の中には面白い情報がある。 どうやら彼は別世界に居た間に生まれてくる親を選べた。両親がハワイの旅行中に観察して選んだ。選んだ瞬間の特定できる情報（ピンクホテル滞在や海辺の夕食中）も提供した。* この例により、生まれ変わる前に親を選べることが考える。タッカー先生は他の似た実例 を『Return to Life』に取り上げるが、地理的な距離から考えるとこれが最も面白いだ。 *Tucker M.D., Jim B.. Return to Life (p. 85, 86). St. […]